Cherries. Sweet Sweet Cherries. How I dream of you each year. I remember when I planted my cherry tree twelve years ago. A $7.00 stick that made my hubby shake his head in bewilderment. Surely this stick wouldn’t become a tree.
Meant to be a dwarf tree of a maximum height of ten to fifteen feet, this tree holds sour cherries on the left, sweet bing cherries on the right. Now nearly twenty feet tall. I’m anxiously awaiting the sweet cherries to become ripe.
Watching a downy woodpecker couple alternately visit my suet log. Eating “two for me..one for you” they were filling their empty bellies before heading back to their nest with filled bills of suet for their little family.
Downy Woodpecker – Male
Downy Woodpecker – female
While stalking my tree in the humid afternoon, waiting for the perfect kodak moment with the woodpeckers I started to dream. Sweet fresh cherries right off the tree. Cherry pie, cherry tart, cherries jubilee.
But wait..what is that? Is that a cherry thief high on top of the tree?
No..it can’t be! The cherries aren’t even ripe yet ! Don’t steal my cherries! Who is that anyway?
It’s a Blue Jay having the time of his life. Enjoying MY CHERRIES !! Darned thief – get out of here!
Categories: 2013 Project 365, Birds, Nature
Emily Carter ~ Nature as Art 
Wonderful photos, excellent captured… 🙂
Thanks Drake ! So happy you liked these.
Love the suet log, great idea. I put up a bird house and have taken in renters this year. It should not be long and we will see the babies; I am sure you are right about the same stage.
That’s wonderful Charlie ! What kind of birds moved in? I got the suet log at Wildbird center, but you can find them online or make your own.
What is that saying about the “early bird gets it all, not just the worm….”
But they’re MY cherries!!
Another group of beauties!
Thank you so much for your kind words.
🙂
Love this post and your gorgeous images! I hear ya…I wouldn’t want to share these with anyone!
As of this morning, they are more than 1/2 gone and still not completely ripe. Sigh…
Cherries, my favorite. Nice fresh pictures, Emily.
You would love these Bente. That is, if you can get them before the birds and squirrels do.
I love the Downys. Great photos of them dining. Those Jays are really a greedy bunch too. You will lose a lot of cherries.
Within another day or so, they will be all gone. Except for the sour ones of course. 🙂
Really wonderful images, and those cherries look delicious!
Thank you Lisa ! The sweet are awesome. But I never get to enjoy them anymore.
OMG this blog cracked me up!! I have the same battle with my strawberries and chippy chipmunks. I’m so stealing the suet log idea. What a great set of shots. =-)
Now that is something I’d like to see. Chipmunks stealing strawberries. How cute is that? I’d actually plant them just to watch the chippies.
It’s so nice of you to share your cherries with the birds! Don’t be surprised if the blue jay doesn’t bring friends and relatives along next time. I can tell you from experience that the birds will pick every cherry off from the tree before you ever see a ripe one, if you let them. You can try putting an owl decoy out, but that scares them out of the area completely if it works, it doesn’t always. You can try plastic streamers or CDs tied in the tree so that they move with the wind, that sometimes works. Or, they sell nets just the right size for dwarf cherry trees.
Oh believe me, it’s more than one jay, along with the squirrels too. I’m a sucker, I love nature too much to protect my tree. They love that tree, all of the birds and squirrels do. I couldn’t make it off limits to them. Super ideas though.
Fantastic shots. How lovely to have a Cherry tree and to get a woodpecker in your garden. I love your bird shots. 🙂
Thank you so much Jo ! I love how bright red the woodpecker’s head is. I have one other type here – a Red Belly. He’s adorable too.
Super post. Your downy woodpeckers look a lot like our greater spotted woodpeckers. I wonder if they are the same bird? I like your name better though. 🙂 I only have an ornamental cherry tree. Might think about getting a fruiter now. I share your pain re the thief though. The pigeons here are very happily eating all the flower buds on my robinia tree. Grrrr.
There is a greater spotted woodpecker that is different from the downy. As if that’s not hard enough, add the hairy woodpecker which is very similar as well.
I have never heard of a Robinia Tree. I’ll have to look that up.
BTW – really funny about Siri and what she does with writing. I see some really funny things too. 🙂
PS just have to share what my iPad’s predictive text made of my typo-ridden ‘pigeons’: ‘paid gobs’! 😉
What a cheek! I hope he leaves some for you, Emily. That suet log looks like such a great idea. Those woodpeckers are having a real feast. 🙂 Great captures.
Nope…not happening Sylvia. They’re almost all gone ! Now the squirrels have gotten into the act.
The log is super popular. The suet is expensive though $5.00 per pack. You can make your own log and own suet for less if you wanted too.
Fabulous shots!!!
Thank you so much Rexlin!
I love the story and pics!! And sweet cherries are the Best 😀
Aren’t they though Calee? Too bad I won’t get anyway. 😦 Thanks for the comment.
Now you have me thinking of cherries!
Terrific pics of Woody!
HEHEHE ….cherries..sweet cherries.
Thanks Phil ! So happy you liked the woodies.
Ha those cherries look great. i would be possessive too 🙂 Wonderful bird shots as always Emily.
Thanks Madhu. You’re kind comment really makes me smile.
How lucky for you to have cherries growing right there in your yard. Many years ago we had a sour cherry tree in our backyard, and it was always battle between us and the birds to see who would get to the fruit first. Enjoy your bounty!
That is awesome. Funny thing is, the sour ones are usually not touched. Hope you can get another cherry tree into your life.
Wow, that’s fantastic…. You planted a cherry tree, and it has FRUIT! You’re so incredibly lucky! And look at all the lovelies it’s home to. Just LOVE IT!!! 🙂
Well..it HAD fruit – all the animals and birds are eating them now. Watched my red belly woodpecker enjoy them yesterday.
Oh nooooo! The cherries, the wonderful cherries!